Seminars in respiratory and critical care medicine
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Oct 2008
ReviewNew approaches to the treatment of latent tuberculosis.
It is estimated that one third of the global population is infected with MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS. Treatment of M. TUBERCULOSIS infection is an important strategy for tuberculosis elimination, but the effectiveness of this strategy is limited by poor adherence to therapy, which is due at least in part to the long duration of treatment. ⋯ TUBERCULOSIS infection, due to the extensive data regarding the effectiveness and tolerability of isoniazid, and limited data on the effectiveness and tolerability of alternative shorter-course regimens. This review covers all currently available regimens, including less established alternative treatment regimens (e.g., rifampin for 4 months and isoniazid + rifampin for 3 months), as well as regimens that are currently under investigation (e.g., isoniazid + rifapentine for 3 months). Potential future regimens and experimental approaches are also discussed.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Oct 2008
ReviewHIV-associated tuberculosis: diagnostic and treatment challenges.
Tuberculosis (TB) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are, individually, two of the world's greatest ongoing public health threats. In combination, the two diseases can be even more devastating. HIV significantly increases an individual's chances of reactivation of latent TB infection and progression to active TB disease. ⋯ Magnifying these challenges even further is the fact that much of the burden of TB/HIV coinfection exists in some of the world's most resource-limited settings. Concerted efforts are needed to identify rapid and accurate diagnostic tools for active TB disease and latent TB infection (LTBI) that are practical and inexpensive and that perform well in individuals with HIV infection. Also needed are effective and feasible strategies to optimize management of both conditions in the coinfected patient.
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Semin Respir Crit Care Med · Oct 2008
ReviewGlobal epidemiology of tuberculosis: prospects for control.
The burden of tuberculosis (TB) is now very slowly decreasing globally. However, the rate of decline is too slow to reach all the epidemiological impact targets set for 2015. The prospects for reaching the TB elimination target set for 2050 are even bleaker. ⋯ Recent analyses suggest that the impact of current efforts to reduce TB incidence is less than expected and that improved diagnostic and curative efforts need to be combined with additional preventive efforts. New and more effective vaccines and drugs for preventive treatment would revolutionize TB control. A stronger focus on prevention would also entail more concerted actions to limit the impact of TB risk factors, including HIV/AIDS, smoking, malnutrition, alcoholism, diabetes, crowded living conditions, and indoor air pollution, which may all contribute a considerable proportion of the global TB burden.